FirstLook: SHO Shaun Hergatt

The Gluttoness — June 08, 2009

It’s rare that I’m speechless, but last Thursday night’s preview dinner at SHO Shaun Hergatt stunned me into my first satisfied oblivion of 2009. Executive Chef Sean Hergatt has spent two years turning the concrete canvas within The Setai New York into a modern Asian masterpiece with simple elegance and ruby red accents. An expansive glass wall separates diners from the theatrics of the grand kitchen and many of the tables face Hergatt’s “stage” where he commands his dutiful “players.” You witness meticulousness then taste it.

The striking décor is matched by the drama of SHO’s impeccable food, which the chef described as “Asian-accented, modern French cuisine.” Hergatt is a brawny Australian with a sweet smile—the unexpected artist behind brilliantly feminine dishes that are as artistically inclined as they are sophisticated in flavor. There’s a continual dance between delicacy and decadence. Riveting taste always wins, but it’s the manner in which it’s achieved that is so interesting.

 

Duo of Canapes: Crêpe w/ Tobiko & Sour Cream over Lime & Sesame Seed Tuille w/ Whitefish Tartare

Two velvety crêpes were filled with tobiko and sour cream, then tied in purses, served over thin slices of lime and topped with gold leaf. Two sesame seed tuilles were rolled like cigars and stuffed with whitefish tartare. There was an impressive equilibrium between the rich insides and the subtle exteriors.

 

Amuse Bouche: Scallop over Sauce Barigoule

Raw scallops were placed atop crabmeat, and plated with a Sauce Barigoule inside an opalescent shell. This was an amuse bouche with a purpose. The palate-cleansing sweetness of the crab and scallop were accentuated by a refreshing bite of thinly sliced radish and a hint of licorice.

 

Miniature Olive Baguette with Black Truffle Butter

These small bites leave you salivating, excited for an evening of luxurious consumption. And while many chefs are turning away from the haute in haute cuisine, fine dining is alive and well at SHO— Chef Hergatt’s menu boasts high-end ingredients like caviar, truffles and foie gras. A miniature olive baguette was accompanied with soft black truffle butter. Asking for a second piece of bread to finish off the truffle butter was an imperative.

 

Zucchini Blossoms Filled with Blue Prawns: Lemongrass and Kaffir Lime Leaf Scented Sambal

The action is in the kitchen, but the real show is on the plate and your palate has the best seat in the house. Fragrant, lightly fried Zucchini Blossoms were filled with warm, ripely juicy Blue Prawns atop a decorative lemongrass aioli. Quenelles of kaffir lime-scented sambal offered a subtle spice, a voluntary Asian nod you could choose to incorporate into each bite.

 

Slow Roasted Langoustines: Potato Lace, Burmese Lobster Bisque

Burmese lobster bisque was poured tableside between three Slow-Roasted Langoustines. The meaty shellfish surrounded a pile of soft spun noodles that was topped with a decorative Potato lace, which added a dainty crunch.

 

Yogurt Marinated Poussin: Urfa Spice, Adzuki, Grain Mustard

The breast meat of Yogurt-Marinated Poussin melted in the mouth, and the legs, served separately, did the same but with more robust authority. A grain mustard, exotically spiced with Urfa (crushed red chili flakes from Turkey), added intriguing texture, and complementary Adzuki (East Asian red beans) were almost meatier than the chicken.

 

Slow Poached Halibut: Silky Celeriac, White Asparagus, Black Truffle

While the Poussin showcased a dish elevated by Asian additions, other dishes, like the Slow Poached Halibut, were inherently French. This monochromatic, Napoleon-like construction started with a base of white asparagus stalks topped with halibut. The meaty, buttery fish was dressed with a silky celeriac purée flecked with bits of black truffle.

 

Banana Millefeuille: Jackfruit Confit, Crème Fraîche Sorbet

I practically licked these plates clean and dessert was no exception. The pastry chef, Mina Pizzaro, formerly of Veritas, maintained the exceptional expectations set by the savory courses. Pizzaro’s sweets had an architectural elegance. Wavy sheets of crisp wafer in the Banana Mille-Feuille evoked Gaudi’s La Pedrera. The wafers separated chilled banana mousse set atop a thin spread of caramel. Brunoise cubes of jackfruit confit acted as tiny stepping-stones to the crème fraîche sorbet.

 

Citrus Palette: Milk Chocolate Ganache, Passion Fruit Ice Cream

The Citrus Palette was equally well-sculpted. Supremes of blood orange and grapefruit adorned a tangy cream, spread across a molded graham crust. The linear composition drew you from one end to the other where sweet Passion Fruit Ice Cream awaited.

 

Petit Fours: Salted Caramel Bon Bons, Tangerine Macarons, Dark Chocolate with Pistachio, Cranberry, Ginger & Cashew

Perfection persisted from the canapés to the petit fours (particularly the salted caramel bon bons). Speaking of four, dare I say that SHO could be cause for Frank Bruni’s four-star curtain call? From its space to its service, SHO has been well devised and painstakingly executed. For me, this experience amounted to love at first site and an insatiable need to shout about it from the rooftops. Sean Hergatt has arrived, and his stunning restaurant is “Sho-stopping.”